Manchester United will face Barcelona in a pre-season friendly staged in Gothenburg on August 8, the Premier League giants confirmed Thursday.

United, beaten 3-1 by Barca in the 2011 Champions League final, will face the Catalans as part of a busy pre-season schedule which includes matches in Norway, South Africa and China.

"Manchester United against Barcelona is one of the top fixtures in world football and we are delighted to work with GotEvent to bring this match to the beautiful city of Gothenburg," said United chief executive David Gill.

"We have a large following throughout Scandinavia and it's great that this match will form part of our preparations for the new season," he added.